From France: Aston Villa and NSWE now eyeing 'very talented' 6'3 powerhouse for Gerrard - report

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard is believed to be eyeing a move for Wolfsburg defender Maxence Lacroix, according to a report from French outlet Jeunes Footeux.

A product of the youth system at French club Sochaux, the talented 22-year-old made the switch to Germany in 2020.

Since then, Lacroix has made 72 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit and has even been compared to former England star Rio Ferdinand, a one-time international team-mate of Gerrard.

It appears that a move to the Premier League, where his defensive likeness made his name with West Ham, Leeds and Manchester United, could be on the cards in the near future…

As per Jeunes Footeux, Villa – alongside West Ham and Newcastle – are keen on signing the French youngster.

It is claimed that the English trio are all ‘attentive to the situation’ of Lacroix, who has been described as ‘very talented’ by Wolfsburg goalkeeper Koen Casteels following a quick adaptation to life in the Bundesliga.

Furthermore, the report claimed that the former France youth international ‘will not be retained’ should Wolfsburg receive an ‘interesting offer’ for him this summer.

Although the January capture of Calum Chambers went some way to resolving the defensive issues within the Midlanders’ squad, neither Tyrone Mings nor Ezri Konsa have covered themselves in glory this season, as Villa have conceded 50 goals in 36 Premier League games so far.

In 2021/22, the Frenchman has earned a 6.99 Sofascore rating in the Bundesliga, making an impressive 2.1 interceptions, two tackles and 4.8 clearances per game. The towering 6 foot 3 centre-back encapsulated his own rise when making an astonishing nine clearances, three tackles and three interceptions during a 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich